Jim Hansen’s Capitol report

Last week the Missouri General Assembly entered into and wrapped up the 2013 Veto Session. We reconsidered a record number of bills after receiving a record number of vetoes by Governor Nixon. Perhaps the two bills that received the most attention this session was HB 436 “The Second Amendment Preservation Act” and HB 253 “The Tax Cut” legislation. We were able to override the Second Amendment Preservation Act in the House but the Senate did not override this bill therefore it will not become law. I promised my constituents I would fight to uphold and defend their Second Amendment rights every day I am in Jefferson City and I was disappointed to see the Senate fail to pass this bill.

I was eager to support HB 253, a historic tax cut for Missouri families, and while it had a majority of votes in the House it did not receive the 109 votes needed (a supermajority) to override the Governor’s veto. I expect some changes to be made to this legislation but the overall idea of tax relief for Missouri families and businesses to reappear in the 2014 legislative session. This bill was all about jobs and economic development and it is very important that we are creating a business-friendly environment in our state.

There were several other bills considered for a veto override; the following pieces of legislation were all overridden.:

• House Bill 278 – A bill prohibiting any state or local government entity from banning or restricting the practice, mention, celebration or discussion of a federal holiday.

• House Bill 339 – A bill prohibiting uninsured drivers from collecting non-economic damages in lawsuits against insured drivers alleged to be at fault for an accident.

• Senate Bill 9 – A bill capping the amount of Missouri agriculture land that can be foreign-owned, and provides discretion to the Department of Agiculture.

• House Bill 1035 – A bill that allows amended forms to be submitted by the County Clerk in the event of mistakes during original submission

• Senate Bill 650 – A bill restricting punitive damages against the lead mining company Doe Run Resources Corp. in lawsuits alleging lead contamination.

• House Bill 329 – A reform bill doubling the maximum fees that payday, title and consumer installment lenders can charge customers.

• House Bill 19 – A line-item veto that struck $1 million from the state’s budget that will be used for the reconstruction of Pike-Lincoln Technical Center.

• Senate Bill 110 – A bill establishing procedures to follow in child custody and visitation cases for military personnel.

• Senate Bill 170 – Allows members of Public Governmental bodies to vote by video-conferencing if they are attending a meeting away from their jurisdiction.

You will see that HB 19 contained $1 million for the Pike-Lincoln Technical Center. I worked very hard all session long to see this money was allocated for the center and was very disappointed to see the Governor veto this. I was happy to have bipartisan support in the House and Senate in the overriding of this veto. Unfortunately, the day after session the Governor decided to withhold this money from Pike-Lincoln. I was very disappointed to receive this news and will be continuing the fight to see that Pike-Lincoln receives this money granted to them by the elected Representatives and Senators all across the State so they can begin the rebuilding process and provide quality technical education for all those in our area.

As always, please feel free to contact my office with any questions, comments, or concerns you might have. It has been an honor representing you in Jefferson City. Next week I plan on providing a more detailed look into the overridden bills. On a final note, if you find yourself in Perry, Mo please take a moment and drop by the Ralls County Historical Museum. They have a pretty incredible collection of history from all over the 40th District.